Life after Bite
by frenziedpanda7
Summary: "It's still living, just a different kind of living." Post series, maybe AU. Or maybe not...


Life after Bite

Yu-Gi-Oh is not mine, but I love it anyway!

"A horse," Yugi thought dully, "We're going to eat a horse."

His senses had sharpened. The smell of earth mixed with hay and manure, the piercing whine of cicadias battling with the chirping of crickets and the snorting and stamping of horses, the painful vividness of white washed walls in the barn- all of it combined to produce an intense acidic nausea in his stomach. But, far far worse was the hunger. A hunger that would never again be sated by a double cheese burger at Burger World…

"Yugi pay attention. You need to learn this. I am _not _going to bottle feed you!"

How could Kaiba be so matter-o-fact about this?_ Because he's been doing this for years, that's how._

"Yugi-"

He stepped diffidently into the stall where Kaiba was talking soothingly to a scrawny, sad looking, chestnut gelding. _Kaiba? Soothing?! _ The C.E.O. pulled several sugar cubes from his pocket and held them out as a peace offering. " Sundown here is quite fond of sugar cubes. Most horses are, though some of mine prefer carrots or apples. All of them respond well to a kind voice and steady hand, that's the most important thing Yugi." While Sundown munched his sugar cubes, Kaiba ran a hand over the horse's neck, stroking in a circular motion. "Use your senses Yugi, let them guide you to just the right…spot." Kaiba leaned in and in a smooth, unhurried motion, sank his fangs into the horse's neck. Sundown shuffled his feet but remained calm. Eyes closed, Kaiba moved his hand to scratch between the horses ears. The hunger pangs increased sharply as Yugi inhaled the coppery blood tang. _How can I do this? How can I WANT to do this?_

After a five minute eternity, Kaiba withdrew, wiping his mouth with a tissue pulled from another pocket as he bestowed a last pat on Sundown. "Alright Yugi, it's your turn," He said, handing Yugi several more sugar cubes as he led the way to a stall at the far end of the barn. "This is one of my newest acquisitions. She came from a carnival that recently went bankrupt." He continued as they walked along. "She doesn't have a name, yet, since she'll be yours you can name her." Moving the gate aside he waved Yugi through.

Yugi went in then froze, nervousness warring with humiliation as he stared at the new "acquisition". Looking over his shoulder, he found himself (Yet again) the victim of the smirk that launched a thousand assassination attempts.

"A pony, Kaiba you're giving me a _pony?!_ Gee, thanks! I wanted a pony more than anything in the world, _when I was six years old!_"

"Be reasonable, Yugi, I wanted to make sure you could reach. When you've had some practice, I'll see about moving you to the grownup table." Suddenly serious, Kaiba took the pony's halter and led her closer to Yugi. "Remember, Yugi, calm voice. Hold your hand out palm up. Give her some sugar cubes… Good, you can pet her. She gave rides to children at the carnival, she's very docile."

"Kaiba, what if I take too much? I-I don't want to hurt-"

"Trust me Yugi, you won't. The only danger is if you force yourself to go without feeding. And even then, the danger would be to you mostly. Go on Yugi, It's really not that difficult…"

_I can't do this, I can't do this- Oh God, I AM doing this! It's good, it's so good… _

The warm blood filled him, easing the gut- wrenching nausea, quieting the voice of his conscience. And that was more of a relief than he had thought it would be, maybe because his conscience had sounded too much like Ms. Chono for his liking. His eyes closed as a pleasant drowsiness suffused him. ..

"Yugi?"

"Zzzzzzz-Huh?"

"Are you finished?"

_Finished? Finished what-OH SHIT! What did I do?! _

His eyes snapped open, focusing on the unfortunate pony…Who was staring calmly back at him, perhaps hoping for more sugar cubes.

"Congratulations, Yugi, your first feeding and nobody died. Here, wipe your mouth." Kaiba held out more tissues and a small spray bottle of breath freshener, cutting off whatever peevish remark Yugi might have made. "One of the first things you learn as a vampire, "he continued, "is that oral hygiene is extremely important."

_Vampire, vampires are real. I'm a vampire. Kaiba is a vampire. Kaiba made ME a vampire! Can I turn into a bat? Do I have to sleep in a coffin? Wait! Kaiba's a vampire, but we were on the hiking trail in daylight when that guy came at us with the gun…_

"No, you can't turn into a bat. No, you don't have to sleep in a coffin. And no, I'm not reading your mind, Yugi, I can hear you muttering under your breath."

"Wait what- Kaiba, where are you?"

"At the corral. Don't forget to shut the stall before you come out."

Yugi started to leave, but then remembered the pony that had so patiently and generously provided his dinner. Small yet sturdy looking, her coat was a deep glossy black, except for the white streak that started between her eyes and ended at her velvety nose. "I um… I guess I should figure out a name for you. How about- no not that, maybe- no not that either- oh crap, all I can think about is _vampires_! Wait a minute, what about- Bella? Yeah, that works. Thanks Bella…

"So you named her Bella. I suppose the other two will be Edward and Jacob?" Kaiba was sitting on the corral fence, staring up at the starry canopy. Out here, away from sprawling cities, the stars glittered like diamonds on velvet.

"Other two, so you're giving me three ponies? That's very generous of you." Yugi grabbed the fence to pull him-self up, put too much effort into it, and nearly boosted himself into orbit before Kaiba grabbed and steadied him. "Enhanced strength and speed are part of the package. Think of how the astronauts moved on the moon's surface. Better yet, watch how the vampires move in _Twilight_. It's one of the very few things they got right. And, as a new vampire, you'll need to feed every forty eight hours, at least. It's better if your donors each have time to rest between feedings, the same way human blood donors wait several weeks between donations. After a few months, you'll get stronger and be able to go longer between feedings. I generally feed every seven to ten days depending on my work schedule and whether I've been under any unusual stress."

"That's all very well, but I don't have a handy ranch to keep my food supply on! I've got classes, a masters thesis to finish, tournaments to compete in, I can't just hide out here! Kaiba, how long _have_ I been here?! That guy- I remember trying to get the gun-I-I-he shot me-it hurt-it hurt so much- "

"Four days, Yugi. To be honest, you were so badly injured I wasn't sure the change would take hold."

"But… You tried anyway. Why, Kaiba? Nobody would have blamed you if I had died. You could have kept your secret."

Kaiba left off his study of the night sky to turn his piercing gaze on his greatest rival and oldest unacknowledged friend. "You have a bad habit of putting yourself in harm's way for the sake of others, Yugi. Ushio, Hirotani-yes, I knew what was going on with you and the 'geeks' in school- now a paid assassin. What I still haven't figured out is if you're really that stupid or just too damn nice. And because my becoming a vampire wasn't something I was going to announce at the annual stockholders meeting, you had no way of knowing that bullets don't kill me, they just piss me off. I owed you too much-for myself and Mokuba- to watch you die without giving you a chance to survive." His hand reached out to feel the side of Yugi's neck, then lifted the hem of his shirt to expose smooth unmarked flesh. "Your wounds are gone. Classes won't start for another month. Stay here while you get used to your new…circumstances. As your 'Sire', it's my responsibility to help you adjust. "

_His… "Sire"? Since Kaiba changed him, did that make Kaiba his fath-?! Not going there, he was so NO T going there!_

"Kaiba… Who… How did you…?"

"How did I become a vampire? I suppose you have the right to know, now. Believe it or not, it was yet another tiresome attempt to take control of Kaiba Corporation from me. Yes, Yugi, the vampire who sired me thought turning me would make me his puppet and give him control of my company."

"Kaiba, why didn't you tell us?! We could have-"

"Could have done what Yugi,? It was just after Battle City, Mokuba and I were here in the States, you and the geek squad were in Domino. Even if I could have called, which I couldn't since he was holding Mokuba hostage, would your grandfather have bought you an airline ticket to fly halfway around the world to mind crush a vampire? I highly doubt he holds me in such high regard." Besides, my company is my responsibility. As it turned out, in giving me the information I needed to survive as a vampire, my sire also gave me the means to destroy him." Kaiba's grin would have been terrifiying even if he hadn't been baring his fangs. "A wooden stake to the heart _will _kill a vampire, keep that in mind."

Yugi sat stunned and silent. He remembered the Kaiba brothers flying off in the Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet that day, after Battle City had ended. Mokuba had been so happy. His big brother was finally going to keep the promise he had made, to build amusement parks that would bring joy to children. Joy instead of the terror of Death T. Hadn't Gozaboru caused them enough heartache? Why had fate been so cruel? And poor Kaiba, having to keep such an awful secret, yet still standing with them against Dartz and the Leviathan. Wait- Kaiba was already a vampire when they fought Dartz?! How had he fed-?! Hard as he tried not to think of it, Yugi suspected he already knew the answer to that question. Unbidden, the memories came back to him, of the Kaiba Corp. helicopter and the souless bodies of Amelda, of Jonouchi… No… No, his friends were alive, Kaiba had found a way to sustain him-self without harming anyone, had done what he felt he had to do to save Yugi. _He's still our friend, still full of pride and a stubborn ass at times but he's not evil! _

Not sure what else he could do, Yugi decided he'd better get as much information as Kaiba was willing to give him. "Since you're still scheduling tournaments during daytime hours, I guess that means…"

"…that we can be active in daylight," Kaiba finished for him. "I recommend using a very strong sun block when you go outside though. I must have used gallons of the stuff when I followed you idiots to Egypt!"

"And we can't turn into bats?"

"No bats, no wolves, nor can we turn into mist and slip through keyholes. The last would have been a useful ability for keeping tabs on my business rivals, but enhanced hearing already helps in that regard. And to anticipate your next question, you can sleep in an ordinary bed, with one modification." He looked down at Yugi's deck belt. "Look inside your deck box."

Confused, Yugi reached snapped the lid open and peered inside. His deck was there along with… He pulled out a zip-lock bag and stared incredulously at the contents." A bag of _dirt_? Why do I need a bag of dirt?"

"It's not just dirt, Yugi, it's your native earth, from where you were born. Vampires can only find true rest while in contact with their native earth. I have bags concealed in my mattresses and sewn into the lining of my clothes, as well as the upholstery of all my vehicles. I had earth shipped from Kyoto for you-"

"You had earth shipped from Kyoto? How did you explain that to customs agents at the airport?"

"By importing it as specialized potting soil for the chain of gardening supply stores I purchased five years ago. Right now you have a six month supply. Afterwards, just buy fifty pound bags of Millennium Potting Soil. You'll be able to order it online. Yugi, you learn, you adapt. It's still living, just a different kind of living."

"It sounds like a very _expensive _kind of living! How am I going to afford all this? Are you planning to support me for the rest of-eternity? _Is _it eternity, Kaiba? Do we just sit around never changing while our friends- our families- grow old and-and-" Suddenly overcome, Yugi turned away. "There's- there's no tears, _I can't even cry anymore!_" He jumped from the fence and stormed away…

He found himself back on the hiking trail, at the clearing that overlooked the Kaiba ranch. When they had come here four days ago, when he had still been human, it had taken him an hour to get to this point. Now some new internal time sense told him he had made the trip in just under thirty minutes.

He remembered how proud Kaiba had been that day, giving him the grand tour of the ranch. And how excited Mokuba had been, about his new school, getting his driver's license, ("Seto taught me how to drive three years ago, but now I'm legal!") and the abandoned and neglected horses they adopted and rehabilitated. The man hadn't seemed dangerous at first, just another lost hiker, until the gun had been drawn, aimed at Kaiba. He remembered pushing Mokuba behind him while trying to grab the gun. ("Yugi NO! You idiot!") He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to remember what had happened afterwards, not the agony that forced him to his knees as the bullet tore through his guts, not the sight of Kaiba snapping the gunman's neck in one hand, ("You're lucky I don't have TIME to tear you limb from limb!") and not the feel of Kaiba"s fangs in his neck, draining what was left of his life's blood followed by the taste of Kaiba's blood forced past his lips and down his throat…

_Kaiba calls this a "different" kind of living, but are we really alive? My heart doesn't beat, my lungs don't take in air unless I'm talking! And I-I can't eat my favorite foods- hell, I can't EAT period! What do I tell the gang when they want me to go out to eat with them? No thanks, I had a pony for lunch?! What happens when they hit their thirties and forties and I'm still getting carded at R-rated movies? They'll get older and then they'll be gone but I'll just go on and on…_

"Still wallowing in self-doubt, Yugi? I thought defeating Atem put an end to that."

"And I'll never see him again! I'll never see any of them once they're gone! How to you stand it, knowing Mokuba will grow old and die and leave you forever?"

Kaiba moved out of the trees and came to stand besides Yugi. "It's because of Mokuba that I go on, Yugi. It's for his sake that I find the advantages in any situation forced upon me. We may no longer breathe, but that doesn't mean we can't have the lives we were meant to live. I don't intend to abandon my dreams, Yugi and there is no reason for you to abandon yours. And here's one more thing to consider, Yugi, _nothing _really lasts forever. Vampires don't age but they can die. Fire, beheading… The wooden stake through the heart is still the quickest and easiest method of course. Perhaps it's compensation for what we endure, that we can choose the time and manner of our departure from this world. Atem waited three thousand years to be freed from the puzzle, I'm sure he won't mind waiting till you've done all you want with your life before you join him in the afterlife."

"Kaiba…" Yugi wasn't sure how it happened, but the handshake his rival offered turned into a bone- bruising hug. "You'll get through it, Yugi… I did, and so will you."

The pink- peach streaks of approaching dawn lightened the sky as they made their way back down the path to the ranch. "So, Kaiba, what other advice do you have about this 'different' kind of living?"

"You'll learn as you go along, Yugi. For now, be careful around mirrors, and sit next to Jonouchi in restaurants. "

"Sit next to Jonouchi at restaurants? Why? What does that accomplish?"

"If you sit next to him, the food will vanish and no one will realize you didn't eat it."

"Okaaayyy… What you said about mirrors, does that mean-?"

" - that vampires don't cast a reflection? Yes, unfortunately. It is annoying, but you get used to it."

"But, what about photos, driver's licenses?"

"Oddly enough, we can be photographed, though the images tend to be faded or blurred. But, I'm surprised you'd even worry about a driver's license, Yugi." There was that smirk again…

"Oh, really, and why is that?"

"I doubt you'll be able to see over the dashboard, Yugi, even with a booster seat."

"WHAT?! Oh, bite me, Kaiba!"

"I already did."

_Two weeks later_

The Kaiba brothers watched as their friend went on his daily afternoon walk, Bella, Edward and Jacob trotting after him like ducklings following their mother.

"Silliest thing I ever saw," Kaiba grumbled.

" I think it's cute," said Mokuba. "They really like him. Maybe you should spend more time with your horses instead of leaving them in the pasture."

"Mokuba, I have work to do-!"

"So take the laptop with you, you take it everywhere else. I'm taking Becky to the movies, don't wait up."

"Which movie?"

"Vampires Suck!"

The End


End file.
